Do you think the standard of motorcycle servicing is very poor?

Question

I have been let down so many times now in the quality of servicing that it's frightening.These are just some of my experiences:- bike returned to me sounding like a bags of nails which it didn't do before the service. My tank scratched. The oil drain plug falling out on a roundabout almost causing me to crash. Unable to sort out problems such as occasional stalling in traffic. Rejetting a bike because they said it was running to lean only later to find the bike choking up because it was running too rich. Another bike just serviced by a specialist Ducati repairman, who because of the distance I left it with him for a week only to find the bike had been ridden almost 200kms. It's a catalogue of uncaring incompetence, or is it just me?
I've even had loads of problems with new bikes, such GSX 550EF fitted with the wrong size main bearing shells. CB900FA with 1800miles, all the internals replaced after riding along in town and a tremendous clattering sound came from the engine.

I appreciate all the comments put forward by you all. Just to let you know all the stuff I mentioned all relate to different garages or people who have serviced my bike, for example the drain plug was the old 'Carnels' superstore in Milton Keynes (vfr). The re-jet was a guy in Kendal (the bike was a Bimota db2 final edition, complete sex on a stick looking bike). The scratched tank a guy in Lancaster (Rf900 very underated bike) and the list goes on. Someone here suggested I must be jinxed, well to tell you the truth I think I maybe I am as I have had an awful lot of bad luck with bikes even though I look after them well and treasure each bike I've owned (drives my wife mad).

Answer 1

I totally understand what you say. I had appalling service from Carnells in Mk and good riddance now they're gone and I've had good and bad service from car dealers too.
But it's not all bad. Had my bike serviced late last year by a small company in Aylesbury and took it for the first real blast up the motorway since today and it is really running beautifully. I know where my bike is going for its next service. Sounds like you have had a lot of bad luck. Maybe you should buy a Kawasaki!

Answer 2

Yes. I took my bike in for it's MOT and asked them to fit new front brake shoes on it first. As I was driving it home I found I had no front brakes at all. When I stopped and looked the brake cable hadn't been re-attached. Luckily I had a spanner with me to do the job myself. But a week later I was still having problems with the front brake so took it to another shop for a second opinion. He found, and I was there to witness it, that the front brake shoes were worn out. The first shop hadn't put new shoes on it at all. And it had passed it's MOT like that. This was the second and final bad deal I'd had from that shop. The first one was new points. When they started it I told them it didn't sound right. They said it was fine, after all, it had started fine. But again the problems started on the drive home. Each time the engine got hot the points stuck and the bike stalled. It took me two hours to coax it back to the shop. Still the mechanic insisted it was OK. Luckily the owners wife was there and she pointed out that I was unlikely to push the thing there just for fun and called in her husband, (retired) to come out and rectify the problem.
Then you get the ones that think you're stupid. I'm not. The only reason I don't do my own mechanics any more is that I'm now disabled in a way that means I am unable to 'put my back into it' or bend down a lot. But still they try to hoodwink me.

Answer 3

No. Your bike should NEVER sound like a bag-a-bones or nails!!
You should never have to worry that the oil drain bolt (Oil Change) . It happened to me once tho ; I had about a hundred things in my mind (Literally )and forgot to tighten the drain bolt. It rattled loose quickly and spilled oil on the Rr tire; Luckly the client came back quickly & the problem was remedyed instantly...That is a Flaw I am not quick to share with anyione!

The re-jetting is bs sounds like, Ducati Guy found nothing wrong obviously and enjoyed the ride at your expense.

Get a Better-----Trustworthy Mechanic Damn IT!

Answer 4

Depends on the dealer and the mechanic. Some "technicians" are little more than spotty youths who know how to change the oil.
You get good doctors and bad doctors, you get good hospitals and poor hospitals, usually the poor doctors end up in the poor hospitals, because the more proffessional outfits will give them the boot quickly.
Same with the motor trade.

A loose oil drain plug is gross negligence with possibly fatal consequences and I would be watching the techie that did this most closely after that incident.
Once is a mistake, twice needs a serious attitude readjustment.

Answer 5

I'm a vehicle technician and I do all my own servicing to my own bike. It sounds like you've been taken for a ride, or are just plain unlucky. Only go to someone that's been personally recommended to you by someone you trust.
Just a note though, your occasional stalling fault, I speak from experience that a fault like this never seems to happen whilst a mechanic is testing the bike, only to do it to you as soon as you pick it up. It's sods law and it happens all the time.

Answer 6

When I was having problems with the f4i I took it into a smaller shop about 10 miles out of town... which i had previously heard good things about. I had a strong suspicion of what the problem was: a bad fuel pressure regulator. However it had recently started throwing a map sensor code. The shop said, "replace map sensor... $130 for diagnosis, $280 to fix" And the mechanic got downright hostile when I asked him to check the fuel pressure regulator. $130 to blindly note that there is a code, prop the tank and do a simple test with a vacuum gauge?

I fixed the problem myself, and here's what i did:
replaced map sensor--nothing happened (1.5 hours of labor?? took me 20 minutes)
replaced fuel pressure regulator--bike starts up on the first try with no throttle, starts on all four cylinders, strong smell of gas is gone
changed spark plugs--idle jumps from 1100 to 2000, old plugs very fouled
changed oil--old oil reeked of gas due to blow-by caused by the bad regulator, changed just to be safe

bike was running perfectly, but the map sensor light came on again on the test ride... exact same code. eh? I already replaced it. I noted that the code was also for bad vacuum hose attachment, so checked for leaks and found the fpr vacuum hose was in bad shape from the fuel that had been leaking into it. Changed the hose and the problem went away.

There was nothing wrong with the original map sensor... maybe they knew that and intentionally lied to me? Who knows, I am never going back there again.... the shop in question is called Superbikes Hawaii on Oahu, Hawaii. They are in the process of changing their name to Cycle Pro.

If you want to get something done just do it yourself. Most problems on a bike are not that difficult to fix by yourself! Taking it into the shop can often cause more problems than it will fix. Many of them will not hesistate to lie to you to make some extra money, and they rush and take shortcuts so they can move onto the next job and get paid more.

Answer 7

Sounds like you are jinxed. I would say it depends on what type of bike and who you take it to. I've never had any issues with dealerships and only one small problem when using an independant. But, HD uses factory trained or independantly schooled technicians and holds them to a high standard because they don't want their reputation messed with. I can't say what Ducati, Honda, or the others do.

Answer 8

Most garage servicing, car and bike, I just do not trust.

For the very basic jobs why don't you do them yourself. For example oil changes. No way would I take my car to the stealers (dealers) to have oil and filter change..... some dealers charge like £250 to £300 for that and still get it wrong.. and I suspect some don't do it at all.

http://www.pelapumps.co.uk/default.aspx?a10page=appsauto

Its pretty easy.. save yourself a fortune over time and have the confidence of knowing that you have got good grade clean oil in cause you did it yourself.

http://pics2.tdiclub.com/video/cincitdi/oilextraction.html

Answer 9

i have 2 suggestions: 1: never....NEVER let this 'shop' near ur bike again. never even sit foot in that shop again. they are obviously so incompentant, a middle schooler would be smarter. report this dealer to the motor company of the bike...if harley, get hd's corporate involved for example.

2: get a complete service manual for the bike, invest in some high quality tools, and do all of ur own servicing per manual specs. that way, the scoot is always in tip top roadworthy shape, and u wont wind up getting stranded on phucked up servicing.

Answer 10

No - I have found my local dealers to be very good.

Bike has over 60000 miles now, serviced at dealers - runs like new. I have owned this bike from new.